Wreath Ceremony on Sunday, the 16 th of November

Transcription

1 TO HONOR THE COUNTRY S VICTIMS OF WAR, IT IS MY HONORABLE DUT Y TO CONDUCT A WREATHLAYING CEREMONY AT THE GRAVESITES OF TWO GERMAN SAILORS IN NEWPORT. THE CEREMONY WILL BE CONDUCTED IN THE CONTEXT OF THE VOLKSTRAUERTAG AND ON BEHALF OF THE GERMAN MILITARY ATTACHÉ IN WASHINGTO N D.C. THE VOLKSTRAUERTAG IS A MEMORIAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE, CONTEMPLATION AND COMPASSION TO REMEMBER NOT ONLY THE VICTIMS OF WAR, BUT ALSO THE T YRANNY IN GERMANY. IT WOULD BE A HONOR FOR THE VICTIMS AS WELL AS FOR ME TO HAVE YOUR RESPECTABLE COMPANY. Wreath Ceremony on Sunday, the 16 th of November At the gravesites of German sailors of the sunken Submarines U853 and U550 CHRISTOPH OTTO CILIAX, COMMANDER, GERMAN NAVY NAVAL COMMAND COLLEGE CLASS 2015

2 DAY: 16 TH OF NOVEMBER 2014 PLACE: COMMON GROUND CEMETERY NEWPORT BEST PARKING: BRANDT STREET (BOTH SIDES), CLOSER TO VAN ZANDT AVE. TIM E SCHEDULE: 15:00 MEETING AT SIDEWALK ON VAN ZANDT AVE 15:10 WALK TO THE GRAVESITES 15:15 CONDUCTING CEREMONY 16:00 TRANSIT TO CDR CILIAX HOUSE (12 DEFENDERS ROW, NEWPORT RI) 16:10 TALKS IN REMEMBRANCE BY BRACING THE SOULS WITH COFFEE, DRINKS AND WARM SOUP 18:00 END OF REMEMBRANCE EVENT Wreath Ceremony on Sunday, the 16 th of November DRESS: UNIFORM NAVY BLUE WITH COAT/CERE MONIAL CLOAK CIV: EQUIVALE NT Please, note your participation until 14. of November to: c.o.ciliax@gmail.com or Thank you!

3 IN 1919, THE GERMAN WAR GRAVES COMMISSION PROPOSED A VOLKSTRAUERTAG FOR GERMAN SOLDIERS KILLED IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR. IT WAS FIRST HELD IN 1922 IN THE GERMAN REICHSTAG. UNTIL 1934 IT WAS HELD YEARLY TO REMEMBER THE VICTIMS OF FIRST WORLD WAR. THE NATIONAL SOCIALISTS THEN CANCELED THE VOLKSTRAUERTAG. INSTEAD OF THAT, THEY CREATED THE HELDENGEDENKTAG, A DAY OF COMMEMORATION OF HEROES, CEMENTING THE OBSERVANCE. THE EMPHASIS SHIFTED TO HERO WORSHIP RATHER THAN REMEMBERING THE DEAD. THE LAST HELDENGEDENKTAG WAS CELEBRATED IN AFTER THE END OF WORLD WAR T WO, VOLKSTRAUERTAG WAS OBSERVED IN ITS ORIGINAL FORM IN WEST GERMANY, BEGINNING IN THE FIRST CENTRAL MEETING OF THE GERMAN WAR GRAVES COMMISSION TOOK PLACE IN 1950 IN THE BUNDESTAG IN BONN. IN 1952, IN AN EFFORT TO DISTINGUISH VOLKSTRAUERTAG FROM HELDENGEDENKTAG, ITS DATE WAS CHANGED TO THE END OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL YEAR, A TIME TRADITIONALLY DEVOTED TO THOUGHTS OF DEATH, TIME AND ETERNIT Y. ITS SCOPE WAS ALSO BROADENED TO INCLUDE THOSE WHO DIED DUE TO THE VIOLENCE OF AN OPPRESSIVE GOVERNMENT, NOT JUST THOSE WHO DIED IN WAR. Volkstrauertag Background &

4 AN OFFICIAL OBSERVATION OF VOLKSTRAUERTAG TAKES PLACE IN THE GERMAN BUNDESTAG. THE PRESIDENT OF GERMANY TRADITIONALLY GIVES A SPEECH WITH THE CHANCELLOR, THE CABINET AND THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS PRESENT. THE NATIONAL ANTHEM AND THE SONG "ICH HATT' EINEN KAMERADEN" ("I HAD A COMRADE") ARE THEN PLAYED. MOST PROVINCES ALSO HOLD THEIR OWN CEREMONIES; VETERANS USUALLY ORGANIZE CEREMONIES THAT INCLUDE A PROCESSION FROM THE RESPECTIVE CHURCH SERVICE TO A WAR MEMORIAL, PRAYER BY THE PASTOR, SPEECHES BY THE MAYOR AND THE VETERANS' CHAIRMEN, A MILITARY GUARD OF HONOR, SEVERAL WREATHS ARE LAID, AND ICH HATT' EINEN KAMERADEN ; WHERE AVAILABLE, ALSO WITH THE ATTENDANCE OF A BUNDESWEHR OFFICER AS OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVE. Volkstrauertag Background &

5 U853 WAS A GERMAN T YPE IXC/40 UBOAT DURING WORLD WAR II. ON HER FINAL PATROL, U853 WAS SENT TO HARASS UNITED STATES COASTAL SHIPPING. SHE DESTROYED USS EAGLE BOAT 56 NEAR PORTLAND, MAINE. JUST DAYS BEFORE GERMANY'S SURRENDER, U853 TORPEDOED AND SANK THE COLLIER BLACK POINT DURING THE BATTLE OF POINT JUDITH. SHE WAS THE LAST USFLAGGED MERCHANT SHIP LOST IN WORLD WAR II. T WELVE MEN DIED, WHILE 34 CREW MEMBERS WERE RESCUED. ONE OF THE RESCUING SHIPS, YUGOSLAV FREIGHTER SS KAMEN, SENT A REPORT OF THE TORPEDOING TO AUTHORITIES. THE US NAVY ORGANIZED A "HUNTERKILLER" GROUP THAT INCLUDED FOUR AMERICAN WARSHIPS: ERICSSON (DD440), AMICK (DE168), ATHERTON (DE169), AND MOBERLY (PF63).[ German Submarine U853 Background & THE MORNING OF 6 MAY 1945 T WO KCLASS BLIMPS FROM LAKEHURST, NEW JERSEY, K16 AND K58, JOINED THE ATTACK. NUMEROUS DEPTH CHARGE AND HEDGEHOG ATTACKS FROM ATHERTON AND MOBERLY RESULTED IN PLANKING, LIFE RAFTS, A CHART TABLETOP, CLOTHING, AND AN OFFICER'S CAP FLOATING TO THE SURFACE. WITH THE LOSS OF ALL 55 OFFICERS AND MEN, U853 WAS ONE THE LAST UBOAT SUNK DURING WORLD WAR II..

6 THE BODY OF THE ONLY ONE OF U853'S CREWMEMBERS WHICH WAS FOUND, WAS RECOVERED IN 1960 AND WAS INTERRED IN THE ISLAND CEMETERY ANNEX ON VAN ZANDT AVENUE IN NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND. THE SUBMARINE'S T WO PROPELLERS WERE ON DISPLAY FOR MANY YEARS AT THE INN AT CASTLE HILL IN NEWPORT AND ARE NOW IN THE CUSTODY OF THE UNITED STATES NAVAL WAR COLLEGE MUSEUM AT THE NEWPORT NAVAL STATION. UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO REBUILDING THE MUSEUM, THEY CAN NOT BE VISITED YET. U853 LIES 7 NAUTICAL MILES (13 KM; 8.1 MI) EAST OF BLOCK ISLAND IN 130 FEET (40 M) OF WATER. THE US COAST GUARD PINPOINTS THE LOCATION OF THE WRECK AT N W. U853 SITS UPRIGHT WITH HER PERISCOPE RISING TO A DEPTH OF 100 FEET (30 M). MOST OF THE 55 CREW MEMBER BODIES REMAIN WITHIN THE HULL, WHICH IS A WAR GRAVE. ENTERING THE WRECK IS DANGEROUS DUE TO DEBRIS, SHARP METAL EDGES, AND CONFINED SPACES. IN 1960 A RECREATIONAL DIVER BROUGHT UP A BODY FROM THE WRECK. THIS PROVOKED FORMER NAVY ADMIRALS AND CLERGY TO PETITION THE US GOVERNMENT FOR RESTRICTIONS ON DISTURBING THE DEAD. THE GERMAN CREWMAN WAS BURIED WITH FULL MILITARY HONORS IN NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND. German Submarine U853 Background &